


The Motorcar

by rurousha



Series: No Strings [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Family Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 07:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20888432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rurousha/pseuds/rurousha
Summary: Bart continues several family traditions.





	The Motorcar

The Motorcar Diner  
Central City  
2016

Bart took a seat at the diner booth. The table had six plates of food out, one already empty. “Sorry I’m late, Grandpa. How much time do you have today?”

Across from him, Eobard Thawne checked his watch. He was wearing his real face today. “Twenty three minutes. But Darhk and Merlyn helped me find a way to avoid its attention better, so I might be able to stretch that.”

“That’s good.” Bart tucked into a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage. “I’m glad you guys are getting along better. You need some friends.”

“We’re not friends, Bart. At most, they’re my cohorts.”

“You need to give them more credit, Grandpa. They’re both intelligent, successful, and totally evil. Like you. Plus they’re both master manipulators. You won’t be able to maneuver them the way you do everyone else, and you’ll be a lot more successful finding the Spear of Destiny once you stop trying. That’s where you’re at, right? The Spear?”

Eobard nodded. “One piece down already.”

“That’s great! Good job, Grandpa!” Bart held up his hand for a high five, which Eobard amusedly returned. “Not that I want you to succeed because, you know, you’re evil, but still, I’m happy for you.”

Eobard chuckled. “You’re what, 14? You still really believe that good and evil are that straightforward.”

“I think you’re that straightforward. About the evilness. Not about anything else. You are a man of many depths, Grandpa.”

“Thank you, I think.”

Bart sped though his pancakes, and Eobard did the same with his French toast before his grandson could get to them.

“Bart, eat your fruit.”

“It’s got honeydew. It’s gross.”

“You need the vitamins.”

“But it’s gross.”

“Then eat around it,” Eobard said, frustrated.

“No, it’s touching the other fruit. It’ll make everything else taste like honeydew. Which is – “

“Gross, yes, I understand. Your life is so hard. I’m beginning to think I should have left you to your parents, let you be their problem.”

“Then you’d be the only speedster time travelling with any degree of finesse. You’d get lonely.”

“I am not lonely, Bart.”

“Yeah, okay,” Bart chuckled sarcastically.

A waitress brought ham, potato pancakes, and spiced apples and cleared away their plates. All of them.

“Excuse me, Miss? Can I have cocoa with mini marshmallows please?”

“Of course, young man. Anything else?”

“Oreo milkshake,” Eobard responded.

“Right up.” She walked off, probably wondering where they were putting all that food.

“I don’t know why you like this place, Bart. It’s awful.”

“No, it’s great. Grandpa Lenny used to take me here. He taught me how to track police shifts and response times.”

“Yes, I saw you rescued Snart,” Eobard said. “Pity. I was thinking of recruiting him. But now you have a chance of existing in this timeline. What is that? The opposite of a grandfather paradox?”

“Grandson paradox? Impulse paradox! I’ve coined it! That’s what it’s called now.”

The two talked for a few more minutes, mostly about the intricacies of time travel. Eobard had more experience and, as always, had an easier time seeing the big picture. But Bart had an innate connection to the Speed Force from two different speedsters, giving him a connection unmatched by any speedster before him (or, in his grandfather’s case, after him). He also had an inherent connection to the artificial Negative Speed Force, which still managed to shock Eobard. Bart had used the Negative Speed Force his whole life and had even trained himself to be immune to its psychological effects.

“I wish you would let me teach you, Grandpa. I wish you didn’t let yourself be so angry all the time.”

“Would your lessons involve letting go of my ambitions with the Flash?”

“You know they would.”

“Then I will have to pass.”

“I know you will. I just hope one day you change your mind.” Bart stood up and moved around the table to hug Eobard around the shoulders. “Thank you for breakfast, Grandpa. I love you. See you soon.”

“Bart, stop. You really… you shouldn’t say that.”

“What?”

“’I love you.’”

“But I do.”

“Yes, it’s very obvious you’re in earnest. But it’s a weakness, Bart. People will take advantage of it. Of you.”

“People like you, you mean.”

“Yes.”

“You ain’t got no strings on me, Grandpa.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t know you’re not doing exactly what I want right now.”

“Guess I’ll just have to keep my eyes open. And I know who you are, Grandpa. I know you are manipulative and selfish and dangerous. It’s okay. But you’re not going to stop me from loving my family, and that includes you.”

“I wish you didn’t look so much like Barry. You are going to be the death of me one day, Bart Allen.”

“I hope not. But I do have to get going. See you next time. Have fun trying to rewrite history in your own image. Don’t get murdered by a super time wraith monster.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Eobard saw red lightning flash outside. Time to get going.


End file.
